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28DL Full Member

The echoes of history
We are now at a beautiful bay at the Adriatic Sea. You can feel the echoes of history (both really old history, but especially the 20 year old history) when you walk around the area a pleasantly warm day in May. Already at the transition from the period when Croatia was part of the "Austria-Hungary" (also called "dual monarchy") and the new time after the first world war, when Croatia instead became part of the newly formed Yugoslavia (-Serbs, Croats and Slovenes kingdom "-) became Kupari a nice resort for the rich and beautiful, said that the Grand Hotel was built in 1919, with money from Czechoslovakia (which was formed in 1918 after the" Austria-Hungary "collapsed)

Resort for the military elite
In the early 1960s (when Croatia was part of - "the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia", under the leadership of Josip Broz, better known as Tito) they began to transform parts of Kupari to a resort for the military elite of the JNA (Jugoslovenska NÃ¡rodnÃ¡ Armija ) At last the resort would consist of a wide range of hotels, Pelegrin, Kupari, Goričine, Goričine II, and Grand Hotel, with a total capacity of 2.000 beds, in addition to it there were Kupari auto camping site which could accommodate 4500 guests.

Alongside this, there was a particular area of ​​the political elite (including a stylish accommodation for Tito) with a few small hotels, of course, this included a rock shelter, a 800 meter long tunnel with a variety of rooms. The majority, however, the Croatian military area, so there was no visit....

Over time, in the beginning of the 1980s, the area was opened up for foreign tourists, the need for Western currency was large, it concentrated on tourists from Germany and Scandinavia. Anyone reading this who was there at that time? But finally the fun was over...

Croatian War of Independence
1991 started the Croatian war of independence and the fall of 1991 advanced JNA forces (Jugoslovenska NÃ¡rodnÃ¡ Armija - Yugoslav People's Army) from Montenegro and from the south "Bosnia and Herzegovina" to attack the whole area around Dubrovnik, including the international airport. Croatian forces had not much to set against, but they held out, and the siege of Dubrovnik was one of many events that got the world to finally respond.

September 15, 1991: Yugoslav Navy ships visible in the area around the bay. October 1991: Many civilians leaving the area, Kupari protected by a smaller unit of Croatian police officers. October 4, 1991: A first shot at the hotels. October 18, 1991: Several hotels damaged by advancing JNA forces. 24th October 1991: JNA forces occupying the area. End of May 1992: Croatian forces back at Kupari.

After the war
After the war, it was instead a lot of looting. The hotels had been owned by the Yugoslav government/army, and people plundered them of everything of value (copper pipes, window frames, marble and stone tiles) and when I in 2011 wandering around, it's almost bare concrete skeleton, and tourism in the resort feels slightly off. There is thoughts to once again make Kupari into a major tourist destination, and given how stubborn Croatians seem to be, so it is not impossible!

But, now we are concentrating on Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel was built after World War 1 with money from Czechoslovakia (which was established in 1918 after the "Austria-Hungary" collapsed) At the time of the Croatian War of Independence in 1991, there were 139 beds.